The wheels are officially in motion for New York City�s bike share program.

Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced Wednesday that starting next summer there will be 10,000 bikes available at 600 stations in Midtown Manhattan and northwest Brooklyn.

�Over the next several months and weeks we�ll be holding workshops, meetings and public forums,� she said. �We�ll also be showcasing the bikes behind so New Yorkers will get a chance to check out the system and literally kick the tires.�

New Yorkers and visitors will be able pick up a bike at any station, ride to their destination, and drop off the bike at the nearest available station. Smartphone apps will also give users real-time information about bike and station availability.

With the bike share program, Sadik-Khan the city is reinventing the wheel by providing an affordable and 24-hour accessible transportation alternative.

�Whether it�s covering the last quarter mile from the subway or reaching that dead zone between stations, bike share offers a great, new way to get around in a New York minute,� Sadik-Khan said.

Alta Bicycle Share Inc. will develop and operate the privately funded system � which will not use any taxpayer money. The program is expected to create an estimated 200 jobs.

�Bike share is a new form of public transportation that will help connect New Yorkers to their own neighborhoods, to other neighborhoods and to public transit,� said Alison Cohen, President of Alta Bicycle Share. �At the same time, it will make NYC a healthier, cleaner, greener and safer place.�

An annual membership in the bike sharing program will cost less than $100. Day and weekly memberships will also be available.